The Veteran's claims for increased ratings for his back disability and right lower extremity radiculopathy have been denied. The Board found that the current severity of the disabilities does not warrant a higher rating.
The deciding factor: The evidence did not show any incapacitating episodes or other criteria required for higher ratings under Diagnostic Codes 5243 (for intervertebral disc syndrome) and 8526 (for radiculopathy).
- Claimed conditions
- Degenerative Arthritis of the Lumbar Spine, Radiculopathy (Femoral Nerve) - Right Lower Extremity
- How they argued it
- Direct service connection
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- 20%
- Decision date
- September 15, 2020
- Citation
- 20060696
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation 20060696.
What this means for you
A denial is a starting point, not the end of the road. You can see why this claim fell short — and, if you are still inside the one-year window, the appeal lanes that may remain open to you.
What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Denied
The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for right knee degenerative arthritis and degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine, finding no clear and unmistakable error in the July 2019 rating decision.
- Granted
The Veteran's initial ratings for degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and radiculopathies of both lower extremities have been granted, with effective dates from December 3, 2020, to October 7, 2024.
- Granted
The Veteran's PTSD and tinnitus are granted service connection, while anxiety is denied. The Veteran's degenerative arthritis of the lumbar spine and right knee patellofemoral pain syndrome do not meet the criteria for service connection.,Service connection for left elbow tendinitis is remanded due to lack of evidence.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Board has decided that the Veteran is not eligible for PCAFC benefits due to a lack of personal care services and supervision. The decision will be remanded to allow for further review by VA.
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